More than half of residents in the Netherlands experience housing stress

Based on an ING study, an average of 52 percent of people living in the Netherlands have experienced housing stress. This is caused by the urgent need to find a place to stay, but not finding any due to the housing shortage. 

Dutch housing shortage causes stress for homeseekers

Research by ING shows that 52 percent of respondents have felt housing stress or seen it in their neighbourhoods. Housing stress is more common in unexpected situations such as divorce, financial problems or when students need to find new housing after graduating.

40 percent of people know someone who was forced to leave their home, while 14 percent have themselves needed to live with friends or family, and 6 percent have provided temporary housing for someone they know. Often, when residents have to leave their current home, they stay with parents, family or friends for about six months. 

According to ING housing manager Wim Flikweert, this shows how many different people struggle with housing stress in the Netherlands. “It gives a face to the current housing shortage, because the impact is enormous—think of a divorce where you have to quickly find a new house in your own neighbourhood for yourself and your children, in a market that's far too tight. That's virtually impossible. You're then forced to rely on parents or friends." 

Lack of privacy causes tension when sharing housing

Sharing housing can cause additional stress for residents, especially when children are involved. According to ING, tension can build due to a variety of factors, such as lack of privacy, different day or night rhythms, different lifestyles, energy consumption, housework and excessive gaming. 

Indeed, when being forced to share a home, 72 percent of people, including hosts, postpone life decisions such as getting married or having children. 30 percent of respondents indicated they were looking forward to an “empty nest”, but had to postpone it. 

More houses on the market as Dutch landlords offload properties

According to the Dutch association of real estate agents NVM, between July and September, around 46.000 homes in the Netherlands went on the market - the highest number since 2008. Many landlords are selling off their properties due to new regulations, such as the Affordable Rent Act, and higher taxes, which are making it harder to find a rental home, especially in Amsterdam. 

Housing prices rose the most in the northern and southern regions of the country, while Amsterdam actually saw a slight drop of 0,3 percent. The increasing supply of houses for sale is also slowing price increases, with the average transaction price remaining stable at 496.000 euros. 

ING and NVM call on Dutch government for better housing solution

Both ING and NVM have called for alternative housing solutions. The Dutch bank believes additional homes would reduce housing stress, and more support for landlords would reduce the rental housing shortage.

"It's about additional living space, so both building and making better use of existing housing makes sense,” said Flikweert. “More extensive options for landlord rentals, where you rent out part of your home, would be especially helpful. Demand-side measures, such as starter schemes, are well-intentioned, but they don't address the shortage."

The NVM calls for realistic solutions from politicians in the lead-up to the national elections. “The housing market doesn't need promises, but policies that work,” said chair of NVM Wonen Lana Goutsmits-Gerssen. “The figures show that construction production is lagging, the rental market is stagnating, and affordability is under increasing pressure.” With a shortage of some 400.000 homes, Goutsmits-Gerssen urges the government to “accelerate permitting processes, eliminate unnecessary regulations and build where demand is greatest”.

“Moreover, restore confidence in the rental market so that landlords continue to invest and the flow of new homes can resume,” said Goutsmits-Gerssen. “And collaborate—nationally, regionally, and locally—with parties who know how to do it. Only then will we really get the housing market moving.”